ESPN Rates Tennessee third best team in 1998…

[Boca Vol]

FSU beat everyone else besides us without weinke. I think we would have won a closer game had he played. We chilled the second half and still won easily.

I wouldn't say won easily. FSU almost recovered an onside kick that would've made it very uncomfortable late in the game. IIRC, an FSU player touched it before it went 10 yards.

Stii, the good guys won!

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I wouldn't say won easily. FSU almost recovered an onside kick that would've made it very uncomfortable late in the game. IIRC, an FSU player touched it before it went 10 yards.

Stii, the good guys won!

Memory says it was pretty much over some time in the latter part of the 3rd quarter.

We just kept harrassing Outzen, over and over again. Sacks, hurries, making him scramble out of the pocket. As the 1st half ended, he looked flustered. Thought then it all came down to how well he adjusted his mindset during the break.

When he came out in the 3rd quarter, the lads were all over him again. And you could see him mentally lose it toward the latter half of the 3rd. He was just broken by our smothering defense. That made the Seminoles one-dimensional, and we'd already picked the lock on limiting Warrick's impact.

So I felt like the game was in the bag at that point. Sure, the score stayed close, but from then on, I was comfortable.

Go Vols!

 

[901 Orange]

Warrick was not in college football when Weinke won the Heisman. Weinke won the Heisman in 2000. Warrick’s senior year was ‘99. Warrick would have won the Heisman that year if he didn’t get caught stealing clothes and got suspended for a couple of games. Instead, Ron Dayne won the Heisman in ‘99.

You're right that was the next year. For some reason I was thinking Weinke won the year they went undefeated which was Warrick's last year.

 

[Boone&Crockett]

I dont think its saying we were the third best team after the season was over, it seems like a what could have been bowl scenario, you could debate that after every season tho, as they say, " If if's and but's were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas".

 

[perico]

Tennessee finished the season as the only undefeated team at 13-0 with wins against six ranked teams, four of which were top 10 and two ranked #2 at the time of the game. Most people still talk about Chris Weinke being injured and not playing in the Fiesta Bowl but they tend to forget that Jamal Lewis missed the last eight games with a knee injury for the Vols. Ohio State beat five ranked teams that season, including two top ten, with Penn State being the highest ranked at #8. They lost, at home, to an unranked Michigan State team coached by Nick Saban. Kansas State beat three ranked teams, none of which were top ten, with Nebraska being the highest ranked at #11. They lost to the only top ten team they played, Texas A&M, who was #10, They also lost their bowl game to unranked Purdue.

On top of Weinke being injured, they also leave out the fact that going into the last week of the season, Florida was considered the most likely team to face us in a rematch were the other unbeaten teams to fall, but then FSU beat them with... Outzen as their starting QB.

 

[TJVol95]

We won’t the Natty! F them!

 

[DrTNT]

98 was a crazy season.

K St needed an upset from undefeated UCLA or Tenn to make the Championship as they were #3 BCS. UCLA faced Miami in last week of season due to the original game being postponed by a hurricane. UCLA lost a close one there. K St just snapped like a 30 yr losing skid to Nebraska and were cruising. K St lost in double OT to Texas A&M that final week. They dominated most of their opponents that year.

Hard to say who was the best. We were certainly one of the best and for sure the luckiest.

I'd wager some Vol fans would rate the 96 or 97 squads as better than the 98 squad. Sometimes you need luck more than anything else. See Auburn 2010.

a Texas A+M team led by former Vol Brandon Stewart at QB.

 

[DrTNT]

FSU being without Chris Weinke was the difference in that game. They were actually down to their 3rd string Qb. Jamal Lewis wasn’t as big of a loss for us because Travis Henry was his back up. We had a great team that year and a lot of luck along the way. Glad we won.

There's no such thing as luck! - Obi Wan Kenobi

In all seriousness though, I really don't see it that way. I do not believe Chris Weinke would have done much better against the defense we had that year. That was a very stout D we had, that is why we won the NC in 1998, they were very underrated.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

On top of Weinke being injured, they also leave out the fact that going into the last week of the season, Florida was considered the most likely team to face us in a rematch were the other unbeaten teams to fall, but then FSU beat them with... Outzen as their starting QB.

I'd forgotten that, but your post brought the memory right back. Absolutely right.

 

[OrangeTsar]

Not content with merely insulting us in the present, ESPN turns to the wayback machine to insult Vols of the past. pretty pathetically weak when you really think about it

 

[Randall Stephens]

No team that had Ken Dorsey as its quarterback can lay claim to best team ever.

The Canes had a loaded roster in 2001 and 2002, but the mediocrity behind center cost them a repeat title in 2002.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Not content with merely insulting us in the present, ESPN turns to the wayback machine to insult Vols of the past. pretty pathetically weak when you really think about it

It wasn't the entire network

 

[Cartervol]

Tennessee was clearly the best team in 1998. Twinkie and the Noles would have probably lost anyway. Vols Defense was legit..

 

[Smokeyone]

I was only 8 when we on the championship so someone please tell me… what there any confusion about who the best was? They said we were THIRD in the AP and pretty much that Ohio State was robbed… and to top it off Kansas State was better. Am I missing something? Lol. I’m posting this to ask, for anyone who was older when we won the Championship have they ever heard this before?

Add it to the long and varied list of things ESPN has been wrong about

 

[Sarms58]

It's a what if scenario....he's suggesting that if we had playoffs that OSU would have won in 98...and PSU would have won in 94. No different than Saban suggesting Bama would have won last year's championship. BUT, you have to win your games to get to the dance...results matter.

 

[VolinMichigan]

98 was a crazy season.

K St needed an upset from undefeated UCLA or Tenn to make the Championship as they were #3 BCS. UCLA faced Miami in last week of season due to the original game being postponed by a hurricane. UCLA lost a close one there. K St just snapped like a 30 yr losing skid to Nebraska and were cruising. K St lost in double OT to Texas A&M that final week. They dominated most of their opponents that year.

Hard to say who was the best. We were certainly one of the best and for sure the luckiest.

I'd wager some Vol fans would rate the 96 or 97 squads as better than the 98 squad. Sometimes you need luck more than anything else. See Auburn 2010.

Has anyone heard of the conspiracy theory about the fumbles in the K state v A&M and UT v Ark? It involves an EMP device. Wild season but UT has the hardware to show for it. That’s all that matters.